The weave affects the appearance and often the wearing quality of cloth. A close twill weave makes a firm, durable material, while the loose basket weave gives quite a different effect and is frequently lacking in firmness. The satin or sateen weave makes a beautiful surface especially in linens or silks, but may cover up defects in the hidden threads. Fancy weaves in cotton novelties, in shirt-waist materials, and in fancy mulls, often leave loose threads which become soiled easily and may not be as attractive after washing. A cloth with a very heavy cross thread or filling, and a very fine warp, or vice versa, may split because of the great difference in the strength of the threads.

Sometimes figures are woven in such a way that when the cloth is finished each figure has short ends of thread. For example, in weaving madras curtain material, the filling thread which makes the figure, jumps from one figure to another, and after the material leaves the loom, the loose threads on the back of the material are cut off. Often these short pieces wash out, or the ends become rough and fuzzy looking.

* Univ. of III., Bull. 15.